Anthea - yes or no?

It doesn't appeal to me in the slightest.

I think it is the nicest name my parents could possibly have given me. I have always been so grateful that there are so few of us around. Thea while I was at university, Anth usually to DH and close friends, Anfie and Anthie to DPs and DBs
God forbid that it should suddenly become popular!

Panther is absolutely adorable. That’s a lovely Dad.

Hi I am an Anthea,
regarding nicknames no one has ever called me Ant, or Ann or Thea, which is quite strange considering it's a three syllable name.
My dad occasionally called me Panther as a child, which I liked.
I do think it's always been nice to have an unusual name but people still usually know how to spell it.
If you live in the London area it might be pronounced Anfea, as that was the case whenever I visited Essex, apart from
that it hasn't happened.

I have never met another Anthea IRL, although my granddaughter has it as her middle name now (Which I am chuffed to bits about )

What about Anathea or Anethea? Pronounced Anna/e-Thea The extra syllable could help with F as a surname too...

I'm over 40 and had to look up Anthea Turner to remind me who she was. It's not a bad association anyway, what's wrong with it?

I like Anthea. And "Annie" as a nickname is nice too.

Actually Anya is often used as a nn for any An- name in other countries (even names the same length like Anna!) So it could easily be a nn for Anthea without a stretch.

I actually love Ant!! Or Ants!

There is nothing wrong with Anthea I just happen to like Annika and Thea more so that's all I can see lol

It’s a pretty name. Not sure about the nicknames for Anthea though- Ants? Fear isn’t great.

How about Anya as a strong and similar ish name?

It's a lovely name.

Although I guess it's dated I also think it's a really lovely name. For your daughter's generation it will probably feel fresh and they won't have heard of e.g. Anthea Turner. It was never as common as Susan or Diane so it doesn't date in quite the same way. If you really like it I would totally use it.

I think Athené is lovely too.

Alethea seems lispy, like Alicia said with a lisp.

I like Anthea. It's never been an over-popular name and definitely not 1950s or 60s. I would see it as 1900s as in Five Children and It.

What about Alethea?

Or Antonia or Alexandra.

I do like the fact it's used it Five Children and It. I have a soft spot for that story.

I wouldn't let other people put me off using it, as it can quite easily be shortened to Thea if the child preferred.

I like Anthea a lot; I just suggested it a few days ago on another thread. But I have never heard of Anthea Redfern and only have a very vague recollection of Anthea Turner, which I never would have thought of without this thread. In fact, I've never met an Anthea IRL. My main association is with Five Children and It. I just think that it sounds nice, and I like the meaning.

The possibility that it could be pronounced Anfea or Amfea puts me off a little bit. There's also the possibility, if you live in an area where non-rhotic accents are common, that it would be pronounced like Ann-fee-urr. But I'm guessing you know whether or not any of these things would happen where you live.

As a side note: Athena is place name to me, and I cannot hear it without supplying "you fuck with Athena, you fuck with Moskva!" (Thanks, Yannis Varoufakis).

Definitely go for Diana, OP! It's a name I would probably have chosen for DD2, but she was born just over a decade after the embarrassingly performative national mourning for the Queen of Hearts, and I didn't want anyone to think I was one of those people making a spectacle of themselves in 1997. I think that memory has faded now and the name is good to use again.

I like Anthea, I really like Althea. I don’t like Thea. If you like it then go for it, (as long as it’s not offensive etc) you will never get everyone agreeing with your name choice.

Also I wouldn’t even take into consideration people thinking of Anthea Turner. I’m not even sure who she is so people your babies age definitely won’t know.

I like it and think it's pretty.

Haha- came on to say the same! 😁

Sorry OP, everyone over 40 will struggle not to think of Anthea Turner as it’s not a commonplace name. It’s like Bianca - a few will think Shakespeare etc but to most it’s still “Riiicky!” Pop culture can be a bitch. Won’t matter to the kids at school though so if you really love Anthea, use it.

I personally like the sound and look of Alethea if you are going down the Greek route. Or Antonia if you want the nn Annie/Anya. The extra syllable in Alethea or Antonia just makes them look and sound more elegant to me than similar Anthea/ Althea, but that’s personal taste (and may not work with your surname).